Device and method for exploiting material

ABSTRACT

The openpit mining device includes a cantilever arm which is swivellable around a horizontal axis and carries a support or tool carriage. The support or tool carriage is shiftably supported in a transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm and has tools rotatably supported on it. For this purpose, the head of the cantilever arm carries a rod-type guide and the tool carriage or support carries a rod-type guide. The guide rods are mutually interconnected with interposition of an intermediate carrier. The shifting drive is provided by hydraulic cylinder-piston-aggregates which are arranged between the intermediate carrier and the head and between the intermediate carrier and the support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for exploiting rock materials, ores,coal or the like, comprising rotating tools being rotatably supported ona cantilever arm which can be lifted and lowered, and relates inparticular to an openpit mining device comprising rolls or heads beingarranged in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of thecantilever arm and being equipped with bits.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Such known openpit mining de frequently comprise their own chassis, inparticular an endless ground engaging track equipped chassis, and can bemoved by an individual drive means. As is the case in connection withunderground mining machines, the chassis can have connected thereto aloading equipment oriented in a direction towards material to beexcavated and seizing the excavated material and transporting thismaterial onto conveyors. The known openpit mining devices have in commonthat the cantilever arm is only swivellable around an approximatelyhorizontal axis and thus exclusively in a height direction. In any givenposition of the machine, its working width is restricted to the width ofthe excavating tools, and for the purpose of covering a greater width,the openpit mining device must be moved and be brought into a newposition. If the known machine were equipped with a plurality of cuttingheads or rolls being arranged one beside the other as seen in axialdirection, there were frequently used several drive motors, each ofwhich was used to drive a maximum of two rolls arranged one beside theother as seen in direction of the axis of rotation, to be in theposition to keep small the distance between adjacent rolls as requiredfor the necessary gearing. However, there remained, when operating suchdevices, a rock rib between rolls or heads located adjacent as seen indirection of the axis of rotation, which rib was predetermined by thedimensions of the gearing. Therefore, these rock ribs had to be removedor crushed by means of separate tools or scrapers which was varyinglyexpensive in dependence on the properties of the rock. If, when workingwith the known device, the support was shifted in the lateral directionduring downward cutting work, it was possible to continuously crush theribs without separate equipment inasfar as the lateral angle of slopewas adjusted to be sufficiently flat. Adjustment of steep lateral anglesof slope, in particular of lateral slopes having an essentiallyvertically extending edge, was not easily possible with the knowndevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on a device of the initially mentioned type andaims at increasing the workable width of rock to be excavated withoutmoving the device itself and without the necessity to have to increasethe propelling power for the rotating tools. The invention aims atproviding the possibility to arbitrarily adjust the lateral angle ofslope and to cut even vertical lateral slopes without the aid ofadditional measures. For solving this task, the invention essentiallyconsists in that the rotating tools are supported on a support and inthat the support is supported on the cantilever arm for being shiftablein transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm.On account of the rotating tools being supported on a support itselfbeing supported on the cantilever arm for being shiftable in transverserelation to the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm, a greater widthcan be worked upon by shifting the support with the position of thechassis of the device remaining in the same position. It is notnecessary to increase the propelling power for the rotating tools.

In this case, the construction is preferably selected such that the freeend of the cantilever arm has an enlarged head on which is fixed a guidemeans for the support. Such an enlarged head reliably makes sure thateven high reactive forces are reliably absorbed, and, for the purpose ofproviding an arrangement being as compact as possible and being capableto resist high reactive forces, the guide means for the support isadvantageously formed of rods extending in transverse relation to thelongitudinal axis of the cantilever arm and being at least partiallyembraced by a part of the support. In this manner, there is provided aparticularly simple guide means for the shiftablility of the support intransverse direction and simultaneously a reliable supporting means forthe reactive forces. In case of greater shifting paths, relatively thickrods would have to be selected in consideration of the high reactiveforces to provide for a corresponding stiffness and an exact guidingeffect. For the purpose to be in the position to do with component partsof even small size for the guide means in case of greater shiftingpaths, the arrangement is advantageously selected such that the guidemeans are supported on the head of the cantilever arm at at least three,preferably four, locations along their axial length.

For reliably supporting the support it is, as already mentioned,advantageous if the guide means are at least partially embraced. Onaccount of the supporting means for the guide means being provided byrods themselves being distributed over the axial length of the guidemeans, the possible shifting path of the support in transverse relationto the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm is restricted, becauseshifting of a component part embracing the guide rods can obviously onlybe effected between adjacent supporting locations on the head. For thepurpose of providing a correspondingly great shifting width in case of agreater number of supporting locations for the guide rods on the head,the arrangement is advantageously such that the guide means areconnected with an intermediate carrier, that the intermediate carriercomprises additional guide means for the support and that theintermediate carrier is shiftable relative to the head and the supportis shiftable relative to the intermediate carrier by a drive meansconnected with both respective component parts. Such an intermediatecarrier forms some type of telescoping means together with the supportand, when providing such an intermediate carrier, the possible shiftingwidth can almost be doubled when compared with the distance of thesupporting means for the guide rods.

The drive means for shifting the intermediate carrier and for shiftingthe support can in a particularly simple manner be formed ofcylinder-piston-aggregates, and the reaction forces can reliably beresisted if the intermediate carrier comprises bearing means embracingthe guide means of the head and of the support. If the guide means ofthe head and of the support, respectively, are formed of rods beingfixed at sections of their length at the head or the support,respectively, the embracing bearing means of the intermediate carriercan be formed of bearing eyes provided in a bearing plate of theintermediate carrier, through which bearing plate extend the guide meansof the head and the support, respectively.

According to the invention, the arrangement is advantageously such thatthe distances of the bearing means provided on the head, on the supportand on the intermediate carrier are approximately the same. For thepurpose of providing an exact parallel guide, the guide means on thehead and on the support are advantageously formed of rods or tubesarranged in respective pairs within a plane through which extends thelongitudinal axis of the cantilever arm. In this case, the bearing meansin the intermediate carrier can advantageously be designed such that theguide means of the head and of the support are maintained withinmutually parallel planes.

With consideration of the shiftability of the support, the rotatingdrive means for the rotating tools is advantageously fixed to thesupport. The additional weight of such a rotating drive means is easilysupported on account of the special construction of the bearing meansand of the guide means of the component parts.

For the purpose of providing the possibility to accelerate cutting workby means of such a device, it is advantageously intended to keep assmall as possible the rock rib remaining between adjacent heads orrolls. For this purpose, a preferred device for performing the processis characterized in that a plurality of separate drive motors isprovided for the rotatable heads or rolls. Such a plurality of motorsmust propel a repective smaller number of rolls or heads, so that thegearing required therefor and being arranged within the carrier armsbetween adjacent rolls or heads can be given a more narrow construction.In this case, the device is advantageously designed such that one drivemotor is provided for each pair of adjacent rolls or heads.

For the purpose of achieving the oscillating movement of the support,the device according to the invention is advantageously furtherdeveloped such that the shifting drive means for the support is provideddouble-acting hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder-piston-aggregates, theworking chambers of which are connected with a valve assembly, whichalternately supplies fluid to the working chambers and opens the justopposite working chamber. In this case, there is advantageously selecteda valve assembly of adjustable switching frequency to be in the positionto better adapt the advancing speed to the existing rock properties.

For the purpose of delimiting the stroke, the device is advantageouslyfurther developed such that limit switches, in particular adjustablelimit switches, for switching over the shifting movement of the supportare arranged within the shifting path of the support. The limit switchescan in a particularly simple manner be adjusted to the width of the ribremaining between adjacent rotating rolls or heads, which width resultsfrom the just existing construction.

The device according to the invention comprising rotating tools beingrotatably supported on a liftable and lowerable cantilever arm, inparticular an openpit mining device having the axes of rotation forrolls or heads equipped with bits arranged in transverse relation to thelongitudinal axis of the cantilever arm and having the rotating toolssupported on a support and having supported the support for shiftingmovement in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of thecantilever arm on the cantilever arm can with advantage be used for aprocess for excavating of material, in which the shifting drive means ofthe support is driven to effect a reciprocating movement duringadvancing the carrier in substantially vertical direction. Such anoscillating movement of the carrier prevents the carrier arrangedbetween adjacent rotating heads or rolls from hitting a rock rib wheneffecting cutting work in downward direction, because such rock ribs arecut away in time by the oscillating movement of the carrier. In thiscase, the process is advantageously performed such that the stroke ofthe reciprocating movement between the reversal points thereof isselected so as to be at least equal the distance between adjacent rollsor heads as measured in the axial direction.

For the purpose of providing the possibility of effecting the cuttingwork with a relatively great speed and for the purpose of maintaininglow the power required for driving the rolls or heads, the process isadvantageously performed such that the ratio of the advancing speed in avertical direction to the stroke frequency of the support is selected soas to be smaller than the height of the rib or equal this rib. In thismanner, a rib just formed between adjacent heads or rolls is always cutaway in time prior to any possible collision with the carrier arm of therolls or heads, and this even in that case in which an essentiallyvertical slope is cut or hewn. For flatter angles of slope, theadvancing speed may, of course, be increased, noting that the advancingspeed is, in this case, not selected in exactly vertical direction butin diagonal direction. For this purpose, a lateral shifting movement ofthe support is superimposed to the oscillating movement of the support.

The process according to the invention can, in principle, be performedwith any type of the described device case of special arrangements, itwill be necessary to incorporate a corresponding valve assembly for theoscillating drive means of the support. When effecting cutting work inan essentially vertical direction, the great lateral adjusting paths,which would be possible with a telescopically interengaging guide meansof the support, are not imperative, because, in this case, only anoscillating movement is required which corresponds to the rock ribremaining between adjacent rolls or heads. The stroke required thereforis relatively small, so that substantial adjustability is not required.A substantial adjustability in the lateral direction in combination withthe oscillating movement of the support provides, however, thepossibility to adjust any desired angles of slope and to effect a betteradaptation to differing rock properties with a minimum of powerconsumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now further illustrated with reference to examples ofembodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of an openpit mining device according tothe invention,

FIG. 2 shows a view in direction of the arrow II of FIG. 1 with thecover plate being removed,

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of an intermediate carrier incorrespondence with the view shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows a view of the intermediate carrier in direction of thearrow IV of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a top plan view analogous to that of FIG. 2 in a firstshifted position, while

FIG. 6 shows an analogous top plan view as FIG. 5 in a second shiftedposition of the support,

FIG. 7 shows in a side elevation a second embodiment of a deviceaccording to the invention, and

FIG. 8 shows a top plan view in the direction of the arrow VII of FIG.7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In FIG. 1, there is shown an openpit mining device 1 which can be movedalong the floor by means of an endless ground-engaging track equippedchassis 2. Furthermore, the openpit mining device 1 has a loading means3 by means of which excavated material resting on the floor or ground,respectively, can be picked up and transported, away. A superstructure 4is connected with the tracked chassis and comprises a cantilever arm 6being swivellable around an essentially horizontal axis 5. In theembodiment shown, the cantilever arm 6 can only be swivelled in heightdirection in the sense of the twin arrow 7, for which purpose there isprovided a supporting and swivelling cylinder 8.

A support or tool carriage 10, respectively, is shiftably supported onthe head 9 of the cantilever arm 6. The direction of shifting movementis oriented in transverse relation to the longitudinal axis 11 of thecantilever arm. For this shifting movement, there are provided guidemeans 12 on the head 9 and guide means 13 on the carriage, these guidemeans being embraced by an intermediate carrier 14.

The tool carriage or support 10, carries the excavating tools 15 and thedrive motor 16 for rotating the excavating tools around an axis 17 whichis oriented in a transverse relation to the longitudinal axis 11 of thecantilever arm. The guide means for the support or tool carriage 10, iscovered by a cover plate 18. In the representation according to FIG. 2,this cover plate 18 has been removed.

FIG. 2 shows that guide rods 12 are fixed to the head 9 of thecantilever arm 6. The guide rods 12 are supported in bearing eyes 19,which bearing eyes 19 are rigidly connected with the head 9. Four ofsuch bearing eyes 19 are distributed along the axial length of the guiderods 12 of the head and embrace the guide rods 12. Also, the support ortool carrier 10, comprises analogous bearing eyes 20 which embrace theguide rods 13 of the support 10. The distance between adjacent bearingpoints or bearing eyes 20 or 19, is essentially the same. In aconstruction, in which the bearing eyes 20 would immediately cooperatewith the rods 12 of the head, there would result a maximum shifting pathcorresponding to the distance of adjacent bearing eyes 19 and 20, asmeasured in axial direction of the rods 12 and 13, respectively. For thepurpose of increasing the shifting path of the tool 15 in the directionof the twin arrow 21, there is now provided an intermediate carrier 14embracing with bearing eyes 22 the rods 12 as well as the rods 13. Theintermediate carrier 14 comprises three plates carrying such bearingeyes and is shown in greater detail in the FIGS. 3 and 4. The bearingeyes embracing the guide rods 12 and 13 are, in this case, formed ofbores 23 provided in supporting plates 24 of the intermediate carrier 14as is shown in FIG. 4. The distances of the bores 23 forming the bearingeyes for the rods 12 and 13 are designed such that the support 10 isparallely guided relative to the head. By providing such an intermediatecarrier 14, there results a type of telescoping arrangement whichincreases the maximum shifting path in a direction of the twin arrow 21.For this purpose, there is provided a hydrauliccylinder-piston-aggregate 25 between the head 9 and a bearing plate 24of the intermediate carrier, the connecting point on the intermediatecarrier being designated by 26. A second hydrauliccylinder-piston-aggregate 27 connects the intermediate carrier 14 withthe support or tool carriage 10. By actuating both hydrauliccylinder-piston-aggregates 25 and 27 there can, as is schematicallyrepresentated in the FIGS. 5 and 6, now be obtained relatively greatadjusting paths in the direction of the twin arrow 21. In FIG. 5, bothhydraulic cylinder-piston-aggregates 25 and 27 have been extended, whichresults in shifting the tool carrier for approximately twice thedistance of adjacent bearing points for the guide rods 12 on the headand, respectively, of adjacent bearing points 13 on the tool carriage orsupport 10. By retracting the hydraulic cylinder-piston-aggregates 25,27, there can be assumed the position more clearly shown in FIG. 6. Inthis case, the support 10 is again shifted relative to the head 9.Approximately twice the distance of adjacent bearing points 19 on thehead and, 20 on the support or tool carrier 10 results for the shiftingpath.

In FIG. 7, there is again shown an openpit mining device 1, in which thereference numerals of FIG. 1 are again used. The openpit mining deviceaccording to FIG. 7 can be moved on floor by means of an endlessground-engaging track equipped chassis 2 and has a loading means 3 bymeans of which excavated material resting on the floor or ground, can bepicked up and removed. A superstructure 4 is connected with the trackedchassis and comprises a cantilever arm 6 which is swivellable around anessentially horizontal axis 5. The cantilever arm 6 can only beswivelled in height direction in the sense of the twin arrow 7, forwhich purpose there are provided supporting and swivelling cylinders 8,respectively.

A support or tool carriage 10, is shiftably supported on the head 9 ofthe cantilever arm. The direction of shifting movement extends in atransverse relation to the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm 6.Guide means 12 are provided on the head 9 of the cantilever arm forshifting the support 10 in an essentially horizontal direction.

The tool carriage or support 10, carries the excavating tools 15. Aplurality of such excavating tools is arranged one beside the other inthe direction of the axis 17 of rotation. Motors 16 are provided fordriving the excavating tools.

As can be understood from the top plan view shown in FIG. 8, two cuttingrolls are in pairs driven by common drive motors 16 for being rotated.The drive motors 16 are effective with interposition of gearing 28. Thegearing 28 is located in the bearing arms of the rolls 15 and on accountof a plurality of drive motors 16 being provided, these bearing arms canbe given a relatively small size in the direction of the axis 17 ofrotation for the tools, because driving torque need only be transmittedin each case for only two rolls.

From the representation according to FIG. 8, there can be recognizedfour seizing arms 29 on the loading means 3, by means of which seizingarms the excavated material is fed to a removal means 30 and to aremoval means 31 arranged essentially centrally of the machine andtransporting the material in longitudinal direction of the machine.

The support 10 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder-piston-aggregate 32 toeffect an oscillating movement in the sense of the twin arrow 21. Thestroke of this oscillating movement is at least equal the distance a,which is required between adjacent rolls or heads for the gearing of thedrive means. When effecting cutting work in an essentially verticaldirection in correspondence with the twin arrow 7 of FIG. 7, the rockrib remaining between adjacent rolls 15 is cut away on account of thereciprocating movement of the support 10, so that even steep lateralslope angles can be cut without the assistance of additional equipmentfor removing the rock rib.

If flatter slope angles are adjusted, a directional shifting movement ofthe carrier in the sense of twin arrow 21 can be effected simultaneouslywith the reciprocating movement of the carrier or support 10. However,for this purpose the required shifting path is greater than would bepossible with a device to the FIGS. 7 and 8. Such greater shifting pathscan, for example, be achieved with a device according to the FIGS. 2, 5and 6.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for exploiting rock material,comprising:a chassis; a cantilever arm having one end pivotally mountedon the chassis by a swivel joint, for swivelling about a horizontal axistransverse to the length direction of the arm, said arm also having afree end; means connecting between said chassis and said arm forswivelling said arm about said swivel joint; said free end of said armmounting a head which is broader than said arm; a plurality of rotaryexcavating tools arranged in a series extending transversally of saidarm and arranged to rotate about horizontal axes extending transversallyof said arm, said excavating tools being equipped with excavator bits;means supporting said rotary excavating tools on said head of said armfor vertical swivelling movement with said arm about said swivel joint;said supporting means providing for selective shifting of said rotaryexcavating tools transversally of said length direction of said arm, byincluding:a tool carrier on which said rotary excavating tools aremounted for rotation; said tool carrier having at least three bearingeyes spaced therealong transversally of said arm; at least three bearingeyes provided on said head and spaced therealong transversally of saidarm; an intermediate carrier having two sets of at least two bearingeyes; the bearing eyes of the tool carrier mounting a guide rod on whichone set of the bearing eyes of the intermediate carrier are received forsliding movement transversally of the arm; the bearing eyes of the headmounting a guide rod on which the other set of the bearing eyes of theintermediate carrier are received for sliding movement transversally ofthe arm; said bearing eyes of said tool, said bearing eyes of said head,and said bearing eyes in each set on said intermediate carrier all beingspaced approximately equal distances apart transversally of said arm;first means mounted between the intermediate carrier and the head forsliding the intermediate carrier transversally of the arm; and secondmeans mounted between the tool carrier and the intermediate carrier forsliding the tool carrier transversally of the arm.
 2. The device ofclaim 1, wherein:said first and second means for sliding are constitutedby respective extensible and contractible pressurized fluid-operatedpiston and cylinder aggregates.
 3. The device of claim 2, furtherincluding:valve means and switching means associated in operativerelationship with said piston and cylinder aggregates for causing saidrotating excavating tools, while rotating, to be shifted alternativelyleftwardly and rightwardly on said head.
 4. The device of claim 1,further including:rotating drive means for the rotary excavating tools,said rotary drive means being mounted on said tool carrier.
 5. Thedevice of claim 4, wherein:said rotating drive means comprises aplurality of separate drive motors.
 6. The device of claim 5,wherein:said rotary excavating tools are arranged in pairs; and saidseparate drive motors include one for each pair of said rotaryexcavating tools.
 7. A method for exploiting rock material from a faceof a mine, comprising:providing a plurality of rotating excavating toolson a free end of a cantilever arm, so that the tools are spacedtransversally of the length of the arm and rotate about horizontal axeswhile being supported from at least three transversally spaced sites onthe free end of the arm and three transversally spaced sites on a toolcarrier for the rotating tools, via three spaced sites on anintermediate carrier laterally shiftably connected between the toolcarrier and the free end of the arm; and while swivelling the armvertically so as to raise and lower the rotating tools in contact withthe face of the mine, reciprocating the rotating tools alternatelyleftwardly and rightwardly relative to the free end of the cantileverarm.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein:the rotating tools are spacedfrom one another transversally of the length of the arm and the rotatingtools, in being reciprocated leftwardly and rightwardly, are shifted adistance which is at least as great as the distance between adjacentones of said rotating tools.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein:betweensuccessive periods of reciprocation of said rotating tools, saidrotating tools are advanced towards the mine face by a distance which isno greater than said distance between adjacent ones of said rotatingheads.